I Will Always Be with You
by Writing4ever4God
Summary: While waiting with Annie for her plane to board to MIT, Alex accidentally falls asleep and morphs unknowingly.  This causes her to take an unexpected trip.  Her destination turns out to be a surprise for both her and her sister.  R/R
1. Chapter 1

_DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman and Nickelodeon.  
Enjoy!  
God loves you!_

_A/N: I want to thank my best friend and Sister forever, ColeAndPhoebeForever for helping me with the first chapter as well as coming up with the title! Love ya!_

"_I'll Always Be With You"_

_Chapter 1_

Dear Annie,

Hi. I wanted to let you know I'm home safe and sound. I'm grounded for the next three weeks, but I'm home again. You were right when you said that the only thing I would be able to do is e-mail, my homework and play computer games. Mom and Dad let Ray come over, but that's because he's practically our brother. The room isn't' the same without you here. I really miss you. Thanks for everything. I Promise I'll be careful. And that's the truth. Speaking of the truth, the horse radish is out of my system and I'm back to normal. How's school going? I guess the good thing about me being grounded is when I get off, we're coming to see you and you're coming back with us for the holiday weekend. I can't wait to see you!

Alex shook her head as she tried to figure out what to write next.

She had been talking to Annie on IM for the past two hours before her older sister had to get off in order to study for a test.

She promised she would call her later and the sixteen-year-old was looking forward to the call.

Alex missed Annie already and they hadn't even been apart for seventy-two hours.

As Alex sat there, her mind started floating back to the events that had taken place forty-eight hours ago…

Alex gazed at the approaching airport with a frown on her face. She really didn't' want to say good-bye to Annie, but she knew she had to.

In just a few short hours, she and her parents would be going home without her.

Even though it was going to be nice having the room to herself for the first time ever, Alex was going to miss having her sister there to talk to late at night and even climb into bed with her when she just needed to be close to her.

They had slept together the night before.

Alex had felt safe snuggled next to her older sister. In fact, she hadn't wanted to get up this morning.

If only they could have one more power related adventure together. Then maybe it would make the separation a little easier.

"Al, are you okay?" Annie whispered in concern. She knew her sister was having trouble saying good-bye as much as she was.

"Yeah." Alex said, blinking tears back. "I'm fine."

Rather than call her on the lie, Annie reassured her instead.

"It's okay to be afraid." Annie assured her. "I'm going to miss you too."

Alex couldn't look her sister in the eye. If she did, she knew the tears would come.

"All right, kids. " Mr. Mack said as he parked the car. "All ashore who's goin' ashore."

Annie smiled despite how nervous she felt.

"I guess this is it. " Alex said.

"Not just yet. " Annie reminded her. "I have two hours before I have to get on the plane."

Alex nodded, trying to find comfort in her sister's words.

Knowing the girls needed some time alone, Mr. and Mrs. Mack carried Annie's luggage, allowing their daughters to walk a little ahead of them.

After they checked Annie's luggage in, Annie took the carry on bag in her hand and Alex's hand in the other.

"Why don't we get something to eat." Mrs. Mack suggested. "I know you may not be too hungry, Annie, but you can get some snacks to eat on the plane."

"Sounds good, Mom." Annie replied.

The family of four headed off in search of a restaurant that was close to the boarding area.

Finding a diner a little ways away, the girls sat down while their parents went to see what there was to eat.

"Alex?" Annie pried gently.

"Yeah?" Her sister asked, still not meeting her gaze.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing. I'm just tired from the drive." She replied.

"I know you're lying." Annie said. "This is me you're talking to. You never have to hide anything from me. Talk to me, my Al." She said gently.

Just hearing Annie use the special name she had made up for her made Alex fight back tears.

Fortunately, their parents came back at that moment with snacks.

"Here we go." Mrs. Mack said. "Alex, do you want some crackers and dip?"  
"Sure, Mom." Alex replied. With that, she took a cracker off the plate in front of her. She lathered it with dip and stuck it in her mouth.

Mr. Mack gave his youngest daughter a confused look as he watched her take another one.

"Alex, I'm surprised you're eating that."

"Why?" Alex asked.

Annie snapped to attention when she heard her father say that.

"Because that dip has horse radish in it. I Thought you said you would never eat horse radish after trying it at Aunt Ashley's Christmas party back when you were ten."

"Horse radish?" Alex asked, starting to choke on her food.

Annie patted her on the back until she stopped coughing.

"Dad, are you sure?" Annie asked just as Alex shivered.

She soon felt dizzy, along with the familiar tingle on her tongue.

"Yeah." He replied. "That's why I love this dip so much."

"Uh, you know what? I'm gonna go to the bathroom and freshen up. Alex, why don't you come with me?" With that, she pulled her sister to her feet and practically dragged her to the bathroom.

Mr. Mack glanced after their children in confusion.

"I wonder what that was all about." He mused aloud.

Mrs. Mack shrugged it off.

"George, Alex is gonna miss Annie. They're really close despite their infrequent fights. I just hope Alex is gonna be okay when Annie leaves. She was pretty quiet on the ride up."

Mr. Mack nodded.

"I'm sure she'll be cccfine."

"I hope you're right." Barbara said as she bit into another cracker.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Annie was running a paper towel in water.

She ran it over Alex's cheeks which were warm to her touch.

"This is strange." She said as she threw the paper towel away. "You didn't' spike a fever before when you came in contact with the horse radish in Robyn's brownies. How do you feel?" She asked in concern.

Alex was about to answer when she felt the familiar tingle on her tongue. It was quickly followed by a strong feeling of nausea.

"Alex?" Annie repeated.

"I'm gonna be sick," was Alex's reply. With that, she raced into a stall and knelt down in front of the toilet just in time.

Annie was right behind her little sister. She was really worried now.

Alex had never had this type of reaction from horse radish before.

"It's okay." Annie soothed as Alex's stomach rebelled for the second time in five minutes. "It'll be over soon."

Once Alex's stomach had calmed, Annie pulled a water bottle out of her backpack and held it out to Alex.

"Annie, I can't!" She protested somewhat tearfully. "It hurts too much!"

Annie put the water bottle down and pulled her little sister in for a hug.

"Al, it's gonna be okay." She assured her, hoping she was right.

Once Alex had calmed down, Annie tried once again to get her to drink some water.

Alex tried to push her sister's hand away using her powers, but she felt too weak.

Annie was about to scold her, but then thought against it.

"Alex, you have to try. If you don't drink something, you're gonna become dehydrated. That's the last thing we need. I know I've said it before, but you really need to be careful now that I'm leaving."

"Don't' remind me." Alex muttered quietly. But she hadn't been quiet enough.

"Believe me, I wish I didn't have to." She said, slightly annoyed.

Alex turned away as tears threatened to fall.

Annie softened the minute she heard the quiet sob issue from her little sister's mouth.

"Alex…" She said gently. "Come here."

Alex didn't fight as she felt Annie pull her in for a hug.

No words needed to be exchanged between them.

Alex knew Annie was trying to apologize through her actions and she accepted it right away.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Annie said. Her voice was full of emotion.

"Me too." Alex admitted. "I'm sorry for everything."

Annie was taken aback by her sister's words.

"What are you apologizing for?" She asked.

"What happened with the horse radish, I didn't mean to…" Her voice trailed off as more tears came.

"Alex, that wasn't your fault." Annie said sincerely. "It was an accident." She smiled slightly as a look passed between them.

Planting a kiss on Alex's head, Annie put a hand through her hair as she felt her cling on for the last time for awhile.

"I love you so much." She whispered in her ear. "I always will."

"I love you too." Alex said softly as she tried to calm down.

Annie managed to get Alex to drink some water.

After that, they returned to their parents.

Mrs. Mack looked relieved when she saw Annie and Alex return.

She frowned when she saw Annie guiding Alex towards their table.

"Is everything okay?" She asked once they were seated.

Annie exchanged a look with Alex and mouthed 'let me handle it."

Alex nodded. She closed her eyes and moved closer to Annie for warmth.

"I'm okay." She said honestly.

"And Alex?" Mrs. Mack asked. She gazed directly at her youngest daughter before asking, "Are you okay, honey?"

As Alex felt the familiar tingle on her tongue, she bit it furiously, trying to keep the truth from coming out.

She was far from okay and it wasn't just physical.

Fortunately, Annie saved her yet again. She put her arm around her and drew her close for a hug.

As Alex felt the tears come again, she let them fall and buried her face in Annie's shoulder.

As Annie comforted her through touch, she took over the explanation.

"Alex is having a hard time with me leaving. She's feeling sick too. I think that dip didn't agree with her."

Mrs. Mack frowned. She stood up and came around the side of the table to where the girls were sitting.

Out of reflex and due to her not feeling good, Alex pushed herself further into Annie's hold.

"It's okay." Annie said to both her sister and her mother. She patted Alex's shoulder comfortingly while gazing up at her mother. "Alex will feel better soon. All she needs is rest and some TLC."

Mrs. Mack nodded.

She went to stroke Alex's hair and was surprised when Alex pushed her away.

Mr. Mack saved her by suggesting that they head to the boarding area.

"We don't want Annie to miss her plane." He said. He pulled his wife towards him gently and whispered into her left ear. "Alex will be fine, honey. She'll probably sleep on the way home and we'll take care of her tonight."

"But she's never pushed me away before." His wife said with a worried frown.

"Alex didn't mean it." Mr. Mack said. "You know how she gets when she gets sick. She was always partial to Annie helping her if she could."

Mrs. Mack nodded as she glanced over at her daughters.

"Why don't you girls go on ahead of us and we'll meet you there." Mr. Mack suggested.

"Okay." Annie replied. She stood up, bringing Alex with her.

Pulling away gently, Annie took Alex's hand before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close once again.

Once they were far enough away, Annie gave Alex a concerned look.

"Did you push Mom away because you thought she was going to separate us?"

"Uh-huh." Alex replied.

"Just checking." Annie said. "Come on." She got a mysterious glint in her eye. "Want to go for a ride? I mean if you're feeling up to it."

Alex thought about it. She was about to say no due to how she was feeling, but then took the chance.

Besides, she didn't' know when she would have this opportunity again.

"Okay." She said.

Annie embraced her, waiting for the familiar tingling sensation to take affect.

Once it did, there was no stopping the two of them.

Even though Annie cautioned Alex to slow down, her sister ignored her warnings.

"Come on, Annie," she said, sounding more cheerful than she had since they had arrived at the airport. "This is your last chance for a while. Live a little."

"While I'm glad you're feeling better, you need to pay attention to where we're going. Wow!"

"Relax." Alex insisted as they zoomed past a woman who had a three-year-old on her lap and a golden retriever next to her.

The golden retriever sniffed curiously at the silvery puddle as it zoomed by.

"That was too close. " Annie said. "Take us back to Mom and Dad, now!"

"Okay! Whatever you say." With that, Alex zoomed back in the opposite direction, nearly missing a few rolling carts as she did so.

"When we came to the airport, I didn't think almost getting crushed by a rolling cart was in the itinerary." Annie said as they zoomed past their unsuspecting parents. "Alex, you missed the turn."

"Sorry! We'll go back. Chill."

"That's easy for you to say. You're used to this."

"You're the one who didn't' want to do this more often." She pointed out.

As she said this, they passed the woman and her child once again.

"Mommy! Mommy!" The little girl cried excitedly.

"What is it, Alyssa?" She asked.

"The puddle's talking!"

The woman smiled at her lovingly.

"Sweetie, that's silly. You know puddles can't talk. You sure have an active imagination."

Alex giggled as she zoomed along the side of a diner they had visited an hour before.

"Okay, you know what?" Annie said, sounding irritated.

"What now?" Alex asked, sounding a little tired.

"This is the last time I go for a ride with you in a public place."

"Spoiled sport. " Alex mumbled.

"I heard that." Annie said.

It was then that she realized they had stopped and were flattened against a shop window directly across from Pizza hut.

"Alex, do you realized we've stopped?" She asked.

"Yeah. Since I'm the one who stopped us."

"The question is why?" Annie asked.

She was about to say 'never mind, when she felt a tingle throughout her body.

"I'm tired and feeling a little dizzy." She admitted.

"Okay. In that case you need to reform us now." Annie insisted out of concern this time.

"We have to get back to Mom and Dad."

As she tried to gather momentum to take them back, she only managed to go five feet from where they had been previously.

"Okay, Alex, reform us now." Annie ordered.

"You really know how to take fun out of stuff." She said as she caught her breath.

"I'm not kidding. Reform us now."

"What would you say if I told you I've been trying to do that for the past two minutes?"

"I'd say you're in a lot of trouble."

"It's not a big deal. We'll reform eventually."

"Are we gonna reform before my plane arrives?" She asked.

Alex felt the tingle once again, even though she wasn't in her Human form.

"I'm not sure." She said. "You might have to miss it due to liquefying circumstances."

Annie laughed, despite herself.

"Look on the bright side of this." Alex continued.

"What bright side?"

"We can have a few more days to spend together."

Annie softened just a little.

"I know you didn't mean to do this. " She said. "Just focus, concentrate and reform us. That's all you have to do. You've done it before."

"Hey, Annie?" Alex said all of a sudden.

"Yeah?"

"Ever gone to Massachusetts via pipe airlines?"

"Don't you dare!"

"It would get you there."

"Alex, I mean it."

"Kill joy." Alex mumbled.

"Just reform us, please?" Annie said, hoping Alex would be able to do it this time.

Finally, they reformed a few minutes later.

Annie was about to thank Alex for the ride, but stopped when Alex put a hand to her forehead.

"Alex, what is it?" Annie asked, growing concerned. "Are you okay?"

Even though Annie knew she wasn't, she wanted to make sure Alex told her the truth.

Alex felt the tingle on her tongue. The only problem was, the dizzy feeling was stronger at the moment.

"I feel really….dizzy…Annie, I don't think that ride was such a good idea." She added, trying to catch her breath and ignore the dizziness at the same time.

Annie put her arm around her sister to support her while scanning the area for a place where Alex could rest.

"Come on. Let's find a place to sit down so you can rest."

Alex nodded.

Finding a seat in the boarding area, Annie let Alex lay her head against her shoulder.

She glanced down at her and noticed she looked exhausted as well as a little pale.

"That ride really took a lot out of you, huh?" She asked more to herself than her sister.

"Yeah." Alex answered truthfully as the dizziness subsided. "But I wouldn't have traded it for anything." She gave Annie a tired smile. "You have to admit, it was fun."

"It was." Annie agreed. "But I would have rather it not zapped you of all your energy." She realized what she had said a minute after she heard Alex let out a little giggle. "No pun intended. Try and sleep." She advised. "I'll wake you up when it's time for me to leave."

Alex didn't have to be told twice. She closed her eyes and tried to obey her sister.

Shaking her head, Annie put a hand through her sister's hair as she watched her struggle to stay awake.

"What am I gonna do with you, my Al?" She asked lovingly. "I'm going to miss you, that's for sure. But I know you'll be okay. I'm so proud of you. I know you'll be fine."

Unbeknownst to Annie, Alex had heard everything she had just said.

Mrs. and Mr. Mack joined them a few minutes later.

"Did Alex fall asleep?" Mrs. Mack asked.

"yeah." Annie replied. "She really wasn't feeling good."

"Poor baby." Mrs. Mack said softly. She patted Alex's shoulder, causing her to stir a little.

"Alex, it's okay." Annie assured her. "You're okay. You're still with me. Go back to sleep."

It didn't take Alex long to return to dreamland. The motion of Annie stroking her hair was enough to lull her back to sleep.

Before long, it was time for Annie to leave. She still had a loving hold on Alex and their parents had gone to take bathroom breaks for the long car ride home.

Annie tried not to start crying as she ran a hand through her little sister's dirty blond hair.

This time it was to wake her up rather than keep her asleep.

"Alex? Al, it's time to wake up now." Annie said softly in her ear.

"Uh…what…" Alex said sleepily.

"I need to go soon." Annie said once she was sure Alex was waking up. "Mom and Dad will be back in a few minutes."

"No…" Alex said sleepily.

"I'm afraid so." Annie said with a sad smile. "You need to wake up."

Alex's hazel eyes opened and she sat up.

"Take it easy. " Annie advised. "Do you feel any better?"

Alex was about to answer when she felt the familiar tingle on her tongue.

"No." She said honestly. "I feel worse."

"Worse?" Annie asked as alarm bells started going off in her head. "What do you mean?"

"My stomach hurts." Alex replied.

"Okay." Annie said calmly. It was imperative that she remain calm. "Do you feel nauseous?"

"A little."

"Some sprite might help." Annie suggested. "Let me go get you one. I'll be right back." With that, she kissed Alex's head and went to get her the drink.

Alex ended up laying her head against Annie's bag. She closed her eyes once again and tried not to think of water or any other type of liquid. She didn't think her stomach could tolerate it and she just wanted to sleep.

More than that, she wanted Annie to stay at least for a few more days.

As she thought of this, a few tears leaked from her closed eye lids as she fell back to sleep.

The last thing Alex thought of was how much she was going to miss her sister.

When Annie returned, she sat down and opened the can of sprite she had just bought. Sticking a straw inside it, she turned to try and get Alex to drink some.

"All right, my AL, here we go. I Got you some… Alex?" She asked as she looked around the immediate area for her sister.

'Oh great.' Annie thought as she scanned the surrounding area.

It was then that Annie remembered what Alex had told her before she had left.

Getting an idea, Annie slung her bag over her shoulder and ran for the nearest bathroom.

Thinking Alex had felt sick again, Annie pushed open the door. She was going to help her and bring her back to their parents.

"Alex? Are you in here?" She asked.

After a few minutes, she deduced that Alex wasn't there.

Feeling panic surge through her, she prayed her sister was okay.

Trying to think of an excuse to tell her parents, Annie rushed back to the boarding area.

Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared to face her parents.

"There you are!" Mrs. Mack said in relief. She hugged Annie and kissed her cheek.

"Mom, I'm fine." Annie assured her.

"Isn't Alex with you?" Mr. Mack asked.

"NO." Annie said honestly. "She uh, she felt sick again. She went to the bathroom. We said good-bye already. She should be out in a few minutes."

"Okay." Mrs. Mack said a little uncertainly.

Just then, Annie's flight number was called.

Feeling a rush of emotions, Annie hugged both of her parents.

"I love you, sweetie." Mrs. Mack said, kissing Annie's cheek. "You call us the second you get settled tonight."

"I will." Annie promised.

After hugging her father, Annie gave them a watery smile before walking towards the plane with her bag in hand.

At the last minute, she remembered the sprite she had gotten for Alex.

Quickly, she ran back to her parents and handed the sprite to her mother.

"It's for Alex." She said. "It'll help settle her stomach."

"Thanks, dear." Mrs. Mack said. "Get going now."

Annie nodded.

"I love you guys." With that, she took a deep breath and headed for the plane.

As she was about to board, a security guard approached her.

After showing him her boarding pass and ticket, he glanced at her bag.

"If it's not too much trouble," he said, "may I see your bag?"

Annie nodded. She wasn't' sure why the security guard wanted to check it, but she had nothing to hide.

After the security guard was done his check, he gave it back to her and allowed her to board.

Sitting on the plane, Annie stared out the window and let the tears fall.

"I love you, Alex." She whispered. "I'm gonna miss you, little sister." She then added with a sigh, "I hope you're all right wherever you are. Please stay safe."

Annie tried to listen to the usual safety tips and announcements the flight attendant was telling them, but it was hard.

Her mind was racing a mile a minute with endless possibilities as to where Alex was.

"Oh Alex, I hope you're okay." Annie whispered as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Just then, her phone rang.

She was about to pick it up, when they started to take off.

Deciding to check the message later, Annie switched off her phone and tried to get some rest of her own.

As they taxied down the runway, the lights started to flicker on and off.

Annie's eyes flew open in sudden realization as she watched the incident unfold before her.

"Alex…" She said to herself. With that, she started looking around for any sign of her sister.

After peering under the seat and looking around the immediate area, she came to the conclusion that Alex wasn't there.

A kind woman's voice made her jump as she put her seat belt back on.

"Are you looking for something, dear?"

"Yeah. I'm looking for my sister, I mean my cider! My apple cider." Annie amended just in time.

"Well I'm sure the flight attendant can bring you some more."

Annie nodded.

Satisfied when the woman began to read a magazine, Annie looked out the window and tried to focus on the buildings they were passing rather than her missing little sister. But it was easier said than done…


	2. Chapter 2

_DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman and Nickelodeon.  
Enjoy!  
God loves you!_

"_I'll Always Be With You"_

_Chapter 2_

Annie must have fallen asleep. The next thing she knew, she was waking up to the sound of the flight attendant announcing they had landed in Cambridge.

Blinking sleep out of her eyes, Annie sat up and started gathering her stuff.

Since she only had one bag, it didn't take her long to get ready to leave the plane.

Since they had landed, she flipped open her cell phone to check her messages.

Surprised to find she had seven new ones, she checked them quickly.

As she punched in her pass code, which happened to be puddle, she prayed one of the messages was from Alex letting her know she was okay and on her way home with their parents.

Unfortunately, five of the messages were from Ray, while her parents had left two.

All of them were urgent and told her to call them back right away.

Putting the phone back in her pocket, Annie hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and stood up.

She thought she felt some wetness through the zipper pocket of her bag, but dismissed it as some spilled juice as she entered the airport and went to baggage claim.

After she collected her suitcases, she went to hale a cab to the university.

Arriving at MIT, Annie tried to take in the sights of her new home away from home.

It was hard when all she could think about was Alex.

Her phone started ringing the minute she reached her dorm room.

Throwing her bag down on one of the beds, she swore she heard a splashing sound.

She didn't have time to think on it because her phone rang again.

"Hello?" Annie asked, putting the phone to her ear.

"It's about time!" Ray's panicked voice responded. "Do you know I've been trying to call you for the-"

"Past few hours, I know." Annie finished for him.

"Alex is missing!" Ray rushed on. "Your parents can't find her anywhere. They just got home and they're frantic. They were gonna call the police, but I managed to stop them from doing that for now. I Told them I would call you and see if you had seen her."

Annie's mind and heart were racing. This was really bad and she knew it.

"Okay." She began. "Did you try her cell phone?"

"Yeah. She didn't pick up." Ray replied. "I hope she's all right."

Annie was about to reply when she heard a swishing sound coming from her bag.

Walking over to her bed, Annie glanced down at her bag. She glared when she saw the silver puddle out of the corner of her eye.

"What did you say, Ray? I'm sorry." Annie said sincerely.

"I said I hope Al is okay." He repeated.

"Oh she's fine." Annie said evasively.

"How do you know?" Ray asked.

"Because I'm staring right at her." Annie replied. "Whether she stays that way remains to be seen."

Ray gasped as he put two and two together.

"You mean she's with…but how…she…the plane…what…"

Annie laughed despite herself.

"You know what, Ray? I'm gonna go yell at my sister the puddle and you go read a thesaurus."

"Okay." Ray said uncertainly. "You sure she's okay."

"yes." Annie replied. "See ya." With that, she hung up.

Taking a deep breath, Annie put the phone on her nightstand and went over to her bed.

"Alexandra Louise Mack, you are in so much trouble!" She declared sternly. "I know you're in there. You might as well come out."

Annie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes impatiently while she waited for Alex to show herself.

As she heard the familiar sound of Alex's puddle oozing out of a tight space, she sighed with relief.

When her sister reformed, Annie softened the minute she saw her pale complexion and heard the slight whimper of pain that issued from her mouth.

It was then that Annie reminded herself that Alex was sick and tried to soften her tone as best she could.

"Alex, what were you thinking?" She demanded. "Do you know how worried Mom and Dad are? What in Paradise Valley would possess you to do something like that!"

"It wasn't my fault." Alex said defensively.

"Don't give me that." Annie said as she glared at her. "The next thing you're gonna tell me is you morphed in your sleep and got trapped in my…" Her voice trailed off in realization as she saw Alex cringe at the loudness of her voice.

It was like a light bulb had gone off in Annie's brain.

Sitting down next to her sister, she reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"That's what happened, isn't it?" She asked.

Alex nodded, afraid to look Annie in the eye.

She was surprised how much more understanding her older sister's tone sounded where moments ago she had been yelling at her.

"Annie, I'm really sorry." Alex said tearfully. "I didn't mean to…I didn't want you to leave and I was scared that you weren't gonna be there anymore and…" Her voice trailed off as the tears came. "I'm really sorry! I won't blame you if you hate me."

Heaving a sigh, Annie pulled Alex into her arms and started stroking her hair.

"Alex, I could never hate you. You're not just my little sister; you're also my best friend. I love you. And I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you. I knew deep down you wouldn't do something like this on purpose. I was just so worried that something had happened to you that I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." Alex said. She buried her face in Annie's shoulder, the familiar scent of her sister's vanilla and mango body splash hitting her nose full force.

Any other time it would have been comforting to her. But right now, it just made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Are you feeling any better?" Annie asked as she pulled back to examine Alex more closely.

"No." Alex replied truthfully. "Annie, I feel like I'm gonna…I'm gonna throw…" Her voice trailed off as she felt her stomach lurch.

Annie sprang into action immediately. She grabbed the trash can near her bed and put it underneath her sister's chin.

It took some coaxing, but Annie finally managed to get Alex to uncover her mouth.

Once her stomach had calmed down, she sipped hesitantly from a can of apple juice Annie had picked up on the plane.

Once Annie was sure Alex's stomach would tolerate the juice for now, she helped her to lay down and covered her with a blanket.

"Annie, you're not gonna leave, are you?" Alex asked.

Annie's heart broke at the tremble in her voice. Her little sister looked so scared and unsure.

"No." Annie replied. She sat down beside Alex and pulled her close to her.

"I've got you, my Al." She assured her. "Try to sleep."

"Okay." Alex said as she drifted off once again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Annie whispered.

She waited until Alex was fast asleep before reaching for her phone.

She dialed Ray's number first.

Once she got him on the line, she explained everything that had happened after she had found Alex.

"So she's okay then?" Ray asked anxiously.

"Yes." Annie replied. "She's still sic, but she's fine otherwise."

"What do you mean sick?" Ray asked in concern. "I didn't know she got air sick."

"No." Annie said in a loud whisper. "She was sick before that. She got sick at the airport."

She went onto explain about the horse radish dip and what had happened afterwards.

"But you can help her, right?"

"Yeah. She'll be fine." Annie assured him.

Just then, her phone beeped through at the same time Alex started to stir.

"Annie?" She asked sleepily.

"Ray, I have to go. Alex's starting to wake up and I'm getting another call. It's probably Mom and Dad."

"Okay, Annie. Take care and tell Alex I hope she feels better."

"I will." With that, the phone call ended.

Thinking quickly, Annie closed the phone and turned her attention to her sick little sister.

"Alex, it's okay." She assured her. "I'm right here."

"Annie, I feel terrible!"

"I know." Annie soothed. "Listen, I need to get some medicine into you. I'm gonna give you some Tylenol I brought with me. If your fever doesn't break in a few hours or it rises, I'm gonna give you a bath and see if that helps. Okay?"

"Uh-huh." Alex said. She moved closer to her sister and cuddled up to her.

Annie smiled despite herself.

While she was sorry Alex wasn't feeling well, she was grateful that she was safe and sound.

Wrapping an arm around her, Annie pulled her close and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She did this partly out of love and partly to check to see if her fever had risen.

She wasn't any warmer, but she still felt hot.

A few minutes of silence passed before Alex broke it.

"Annie, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Her sister asked. "It wasn't your fault."

Alex sighed as she started to shiver.

Annie put another blanket around her, hoping it would help.

"I'm sure this isn't' how you envisioned your first day of college to be."

"No." Annie admitted. She smiled gently down at Alex as she continued speaking. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Alex nodded as a small smile spread across her own face.

"I love you, Annie."

"I love you too, my Al." Annie replied. "Now try and get some more rest."

"What are we gonna do about Mom and Dad?" Alex laid her head against Annie's chest to listen to her heartbeat. It had always calmed her in the past whenever she was sick or scared. And right now she was both.

Annie was about to answer when her phone rang again.

"Speaking of Mom and Dad…" She said as she reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Annie, thank goodness!" Her mother's voice came through the other end. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Annie assured her. I'm fine."

"That's good." Mrs. Mack replied. "I don't want you to get scared, but Alex is missing. We looked for the last four hours and we can't find her anywhere. Ray and his Dad helped, but we couldn't' find her."

Taking a deep breath, Annie squeezed Alex's shoulder comfortingly before starting to speak.

"Mom, don't worry. I'm sure Alex is fine. In fact, I can Guarantee it."

"Annie, I know you're trying to help me feel better, but…wait a minute. How can you guarantee she's fine?"

Taking another deep breath, Annie replied, "Because she's here with me now."

"She's what!" Mrs. Mack shouted in surprise and shock. "Is she okay?"

"She's sleeping soundly at the moment. " Annie told her. "She still isn't' feeling the best, but she'll be fine in a few days. For what it's worth, I don't think she should be punished severely."

"How can you say that?" Mrs. Mack asked.

"Look, I can't explain it right now. All I can honestly say in Alex's defense is it was an accident." Annie said truthfully, hoping her mother wouldn't ask any questions.

"How can stowing away on a plane and worrying us half to death be considered an accident?"

"If you only knew." Annie said to herself.

"Look, I'm gonna let you get some rest and settle in. I'm gonna tell your father Alex is all right. We'll be by to get her on Sunday. That way, you can have a day to get ready for your first class."

"Okay." Annie said.

"And honey," Mrs. Mack said. "I love you. Let Alex know we love her."

"I will." Annie promised. "Love you too. Bye."

No sooner had Annie hung up with their mother, Alex awoke again.

"What's the verdict?" She asked sleepily.

"They're coming to get you on Sunday." Annie told her. "At least that gives us a full day together."

"Can't I just stay with you?" She asked.

Annie's heart was breaking for her little sister.

"I'm afraid not." She said. "You have to go home and face the music. I told Mom not to punish you too severely. If it were up to me, I wouldn't' punish you at all. But sadly, it's not up to me. But if it makes you feel any better, you can call me after your sentencing and we can talk late."

"Thanks." Alex said sincerely, even though her tone was semi sarcastic.

"No problem." Annie replied. She rummaged in her first aid kit and produced a thermometer. She stuck it underneath Alex's tongue and instructed her not to say a word until the two minutes were up.

Removing the thermometer from her sister's mouth two minutes later, Annie read the results.

"How bad is it?" Alex asked.

Annie responded by helping her to sit up.

"Do you think you can stand?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." Alex said honestly. "I feel kind of weak."

"Okay. Put your arms around my neck."

Alex didn't argue. She normally would have begged Annie to let her take them via morphing, but she wasn't in a morphing mood at the moment.

Doing as her older sister requested, Alex felt Annie pick her up and carry her down to the bathroom.

Fortunately, the bathroom wasn't too far away and the other students didn't' notice them. They were too busy unpacking and settling in themselves.

Getting inside, Annie set Alex down and set the water in the tub.

"Okay. In you go." Annie said. She helped Alex undress and set her in the tub. "And don't even think about morphing in here."

Alex nodded, but she didn't say anything.

This worried Annie slightly.

Her sister was usually a chatterbox, especially with her.

Annie let her sister's silence go for five more minutes before trying to break it.

"Penny for your thoughts, my Al?" She asked gently.

"Not here." Alex said, echoing Annie's words from earlier.

"Okay." Annie replied. "Fair enough."

Twenty minutes later, Annie and Alex were back in Annie's room.

Alex was dressed in one of Annie's nightgowns for the night and was resting with her head in Annie's lap.

Annie had the TV on mute and was watching Lingo while keeping a close eye on her sister.

"Alex, are you mad at me?" Annie asked.

"No!" Alex exclaimed in surprise.

"You've been really quiet this whole time." Annie continued. "Is there anything you want to talk about while it's just us?"

Alex thought about this for a minute.

"I'm scared!" Alex admitted.

"Of what?" Annie asked. She ran a hand through Alex's hair, hoping to bring her a sense of comfort.

"You've always been there to protect me and now I'm gonna be all alone."

"Alex, remember what I told you before we left for the airport?"

Alex nodded.

"I meant it." Annie said earnestly. "No matter how faraway I am, I will always be with you. You need to know that."

"I know," Alex assured her. "But it won't be the same without you there!"

All Annie could do was hug Alex close and soothe her through touch. She too was crying by now, even though she was trying to stay strong for her sister.

Both girls eventually calmed down.

Annie even got Alex to eat a little soup which she had brought with her from home.

After Alex had eaten all she could, the two sisters snuggled together on Annie's bed while watching a "Full House" marathon on Nick at Nite…


	3. Chapter 3

_DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman and Nickelodeon.  
Enjoy!  
God loves you!_

_A/N: I wanna thank my best frend and sister forever, ColeAndPhoebeForever for helping me with this chapter! I love ya!_

"_I'll Always Be With You"_

_Chapter 3_

Annie woke up a few times during the night to check on her sister.

Alex's fever seemed to be going down, which made Annie happy.

She woke her up sometime around midnight to drink some water.

Alex tried, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Alex ended up waking Annie up one more time during the night.

As Annie wrapped a protective arm around her, Alex squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed at the right side of her head.

Annie had a feeling her sister had a migraine or stress headache, one of the two.

Being careful to keep her voice soft, she explained to Alex that she was taking her to the campus clinic to get a migraine shot.

Alex protested, but Annie stood firm despite how bad she felt for her.

"Alex, I know you don't like hospitals, but I'll be right there with you. We won't be there for long," her sister assured her. "Besides, this is the only way you'll be able to sleep tonight. It'll help the pain and the nausea subside."

"But what if they find out about my…" Alex asked as she tried to calm down before she made herself sick again.

"They won't." Annie assured her.

Once Alex had calmed down, Annie helped her up and guided her down to the clinic.

Fortunately, the clinic wasn't that crowded due to it being everyone's first day.

Alex was seen rather quickly.

The doctor who saw them was a petite woman with reddish brown hair and brown eyes.

She introduced herself as Jodi and Annie felt comfortable with her almost immediately.

"I'm Annie." She introduced. "And this is my little sister, Alex. She hasn't been feeling well all day. Her head started hurting her really badly a little while ago. I think it may be a migraine. I was hoping you could give her a shot for it so she can sleep. She's been having a lot of trouble."

"Okay. Let's see what we can do." Jodi said kindly.

She examined Alex while making sure to let Annie stay close by the whole time.

As she went to start the examination, she realized she had left the thermometer in the other room.

"I'll be right back." She said.

Alone once again, Annie tried to take Alex's mind off the here and now.

"So do you think Ray is sleeping?" She asked. "Or awake worrying about you? My money's on awake."

Alex shrugged as she tried to block out some light by pulling a few strands of Annie's brown hair in front of her.

"Ow. Alex, so what do you think?"

"About what?" Her sister asked, only half listening.

"Ray."

"I don't know. Annie, can't we just go back to your room and you can give me some type of antidote? This place is really giving me the creeps."

"Sorry, little sister. No can do this time. I promise this'll help."

"You owe me for this."

"We'll discuss it later." She said.

As Annie went to adjust herself, she saw Alex's reflection in the mirror above the sink.

"Alex.."

"What?"

"You need to calm down."

"Annie, look around you. You expect me to calm down in a place like this! Ow!"

"Okay, just try. All right? Before Jodi sees you lit up like a Christmas tree."

Alex tried, but it was easier said than done.

Just then, Jodi returned. She had a tray of supplies in her hand, which she set down on a nearby table.

As she started to explain what she was going to do, Alex's mind started working in overdrive.

As Jodi went to pick up an alcohol swab, the tray slid off the table and clattered to the floor.

"I'm sorry." Jodi apologized. "I guess it was sitting on the edge and I didn't realize it."

"It's okay." Annie said as her gaze fixed on Alex. "Accidents happen."

"I'll just go get another one."

"Alex, what are you doing? For someone who wants to get out of here quickly, you're not making it easy."

"I didn't mean it." She protested before wincing at the volume of her own voice. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"You're probably right. Your powers are tied to your emotions and they're going haywire right now. Just try to focus on something else." Annie suggested.

"Like what? Like all the trouble we're both gonna be in. Great, that really helps."

"I didn't mean that. I just meant…" She stopped as Jodi returned once again.

Setting the tray down in the middle of the table, she prepared to give Alex the shot.

As she came up alongside her, Alex's left hand shot a zapper towards her.

Jodi winced and Annie noticed.

She squeezed Alex's right shoulder, giving her a silent signal to quit while she was ahead.

Alex gave her an innocent look, which her sister ignored.

"Alex, this isn't funny anymore. You need to stop this."

As Jodi prepared the syringe, she turned her back on the two girls to concentrate on what she was doing.

Annie took this opportunity to have a whispered pep talk with her little sister.

"Okay, the faster you let her do what she has to do, the faster we can get out of here and I won't lose my sanity. As long as you focus on me or those poorly drawn pictures of animals, I think you'll be okay."

Just then, Jodi turned the tap on and filled a cup with water.

Annie instinctively drew Alex closer and doubled her efforts to get her to focus on her.

As Alex felt the familiar tingling sensation, she went to pull away from Annie, but her sister held fast.

"No way. " She said. "Not this time."

"Annie, let go!" Alex insisted.

"Not a chance." Annie said firmly. "You better not do what I Think you're gonna do."

As the words left her mouth, she felt her grip on Alex's shoulders slacken and she knew what was going to happen.

In a desperate attempt to stop it, Annie latched onto Alex's hand and tried to get her to think of solid things.

But the harder she tried, the more she found out it wasn't going to work this time.

Alex had long since stopped morphing at the slightest sight or sound of water. But sometimes when she became nervous or afraid, the instinct to do so was overwhelming.

Unfortunately, this was one of those times.

As Annie heard Alex splash to the ground, she was grateful that Jodi hadn't turned the water off yet.

"Just stay close to me." Annie said out of the corner of her mouth. "Whatever you do, stay close to me. And don't say anything."

"Okay." Alex said.

Annie was about to scold her, when she realized where her sister's voice was coming from.

She smiled for the first time since they had entered the clinic.

"Good. This is good. And new, but good. Well, Mom always said we were extrally perceptive to each other. Okay, listen to me, you need to try and reform. This is important."

"I'm too nervous."

"Have I ever let anything happen to you?"

"No."

"Then you need to focus on that. I never have and I never will. You can handle a little pinch. And if you can control yourself long enough, that's all that'll happen."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Alex, remember when you were eight and you and Ray had that contest to see who could climb the highest tree?"

"Yeah. I ended up with a broken wrist and Ray got grounded."

"Yeah. But do you remember what I did to help you when the doctor caste it?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Reform and just trust me."

"That's something I don't have a problem doing."

Annie smiled.

"I'm glad. Sooner would be better than later. Hmm?"

"Okay." She said.

As she oozed out of her hiding place, Annie made the mistake of stepping backwards.

Fortunately, at the same time she began to join Alex in her morphed state, there was a knock at the door.

"Dr. Johnson?" Came a voice from the other side. "We need you to look at something."

"What is it?" Jodi asked.

"You know that blood test you took of the kid with mono?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something off about it."

"Okay." With that, she followed her colleague out of the room.

"Phew." Annie said with a sigh. "Alex, you need to concentrate and reform us. You can do this. I know you can."

Just then, Annie's cell phone rang.

"It's Ray." Alex realized. "I recognize the ringtone."

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Annie asked.

"I guess you could call him back."

"Great idea. I'll be sure to do that when we're human once more, which I hope is soon."

Alex concentrated and a few minutes later, they were both back to normal.

"Finally." Annie said as she wrapped an arm around Alex. "This is one doctor visit I'll never forget."

Alex just squeezed her eyes shut against the bright lights as Annie's phone went off again.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Annie, is Alex okay?" Ray asked.

"Ray? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"A little after five."

"Very good. To answer your question, Alex is far from fine. But she will be soon."

"What's going on?" He asked.

"She's giving the nurse material for a fiction novel."

"What! I thought she had a better handle on her powers."

"Not when she's scared stiff." Annie explained. "Then again, we were just a puddle on the floor, so maybe stiff isn't' the right adjective."

"What does communication arts have to do with it?" He asked.

"Ooh Ray, I'm impressed. I see you've read that thesaurus. Now, what's an oxymoron?"

Just then, Annie felt her grip on the phone loosen.

"Alex. You can talk to Ray tomorrow."

"I'm not doing it on purpose." She said defensively.

Annie sighed.

"I know. But we don't' have time for this. You need to stop."

"It's not that easy." Alex shot back, wincing at the loud noise.

Out of pure frustration, Annie spoke before she thought.

"Maybe if you tried a little harder to control yourself it would be. I don't know if you've been paying attention for the past day or so, but I'm not always gonna be around to protect you."

As she felt Alex pull away from her, Annie realized how much damage she had just done.

"Alex, I didn't' mean…Ray, I have to go."

"Okay." He said. He too had heard the exchange and was a little surprised by what Annie had said.

Clicking off the phone, Annie tried to collect her thoughts before attempting to make things right with Alex.

Seeing the pain that flashed across her sister's face was like putting a knife through Annie's heart.

"Al, I'm really sorry." She tried. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

"Didn't you? I mean for all I know, that's the reason you left."

"Okay. I deserve that." She said. "Leaving hasn't been easy for me either. I don't just mean leaving home or leaving Mom and Dad. Leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

"Don't you mean leaving your favorite science project?"

"No. I mean leaving my sister. Leaving the best friend I've had since you were born. Alex, I've watched you grow up and you've turned into an amazing person. I was scared to death to leave you at first. But after I saw what you did for that woman and how you handled that, it made me realize that you're gonna be okay. You were the first person I told about coming here. I hadn't even told Mom and Dad yet."

"I was?"

"Yeah.."

"But why didn't you tell Dad first? I thought he would be the first person you told."

"Well you thought wrong. When I first got the letter, you were the first person I wanted to tell. And then when it hit me that I was actually going to leave, you were the one person I didn't want to leave the most."

"Really?" Alex asked softly.

"Really." Annie confirmed.

As the two embraced, Alex felt the anger melt away almost instantly.

"What do you say?" Annie said as she locked gazes with Alex. "Let's get this torture over with and then we can go back to the dorm and fall asleep to a movie. I promise, I'll keep the volume low."

"Sounds good to me." She said.

"And no more power antics."

"I'll try."

"Good."

Just then, Jodi returned.

"Sorry about that." She said. "It's just been crazy here tonight."

"We know what that's like." Annie said with a smile towards Alex.

Jodi smiled at them warmly.

"It appears you're right." Jodi said once she was done. "Your sister has a migraine. I'm gonna give her a painkiller that will help with the pain and the nausea she's experiencing. It should start working shortly after I administer it. I'll be right back." With that, she left to get the medicine.

Annie could feel Alex shaking as she wrapped a protective arm around her.

"I'm really proud of you." Annie praised, kissing the top of Alex's head. "You're being really brave about this."

Alex merely let out a painful whimper and buried her face in Annie's shoulder.

Jodi returned just then. She walked over to Alex's right side and prepared to stick the needle in her shoulder.

"This should only pinch for a minute." She explained.

Alex wasn't paying too much attention. She was too busy trying to ignore the pain as well as the needle that was about to bite into her skin.

As Jodi stuck the needle in, Alex dug her fingernails into Annie's skin.

Annie ignored her own temporary pain.

Instead, she concentrated on helping Alex endure hers.

"That's it." Annie said. "You're doing great. It's okay, Al. You're gonna feel better soon." She assured her. She turned to Jodi. "Can I take her home now?"

"Of course." She replied. "Just have her rest for the rest of the night and tomorrow as well."

"Okay. Thanks for everything." Annie said as she prepared to guide Alex out of the office.

"You're quite welcome." Jodi said. She then added as an after thought, "If you girls wouldn't mind, the next time you're back home, say hi to Dave for me."

Alex and Annie exchanged looks of surprise as they left the office.

"Do you think she's really related to Dave?" Alex asked as they entered the main hallway.

Annie shrugged.

"I don't know. All I do know is tonight was a really close call."

Alex nodded in agreement.

As they headed out towards the exit, they started talking about what movie they were going to watch.

In the middle of Alex trying to convince Annie to watch "Sabrina Goes to Rome," Annie heard Alex suck in a breath before swallowing hard.

She was about to ask her what was wrong, when her sisterly instincts took over.

She got her into a bathroom just in time.

"Annie, it still hurts!" Alex cried as her stomach lurched again.

"I know, Al. The medicine will start working soon."

Ten minutes later, Annie tucked Alex back in bed.

Wrapping an arm around her, Annie whispered she loved her. With that, they both fell asleep for the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

_DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman and Nickelodeon.  
Enjoy!  
God loves you!_

"_I'll Always Be With You"_

_Chapter 4_

Annie and Alex spent the next day hanging out together. They talked about anything and everything while Annie nursed her little sister back to health.

She was relieved when Alex was able to eat some more soup and didn't get sick, even though she still felt a little queasy.

Her migraine was also going away thanks to the shot Jodi had given her the night before.

"Well it looks like you're on the mend." Annie said with a grin. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Al."

"Me too." Alex agreed. "I just hope the horse radish wears off soon."

"It will." Annie assured her. "It just might take a little longer this time."

Alex nodded as she gave Annie a hug.

"I don't want to leave tomorrow." She said a few minutes later.

"I know you don't. But you have to. Look at it this way. You'll have one incredible story to tell Ray when you get home."

Alex smiled.

"Well when you put it that way…" She said as her voice trailed off.

Annie grinned and ruffled Alex's hair.

For the rest of the day, the girls hung out and Alex continued to recover.

Annie decided to order out for dinner that night. She didn't want to risk taking Alex to the cafeteria and she knew she wasn't ready to eat anything really heavy.

After the food came, the girls ate and talked about this and that.

They slept together for the last time that night.

Alex smiled as she felt Annie comb a hand through her hair.

"I love you, Annie." She mumbled just before she fell asleep.

"I love you too, Alex." Annie replied. "And I always will." With that, she too fell asleep for the rest of the night.

Sooner than Alex would have liked Annie was waking her up. She was gentle about it, but insistent nonetheless.

"Come on, Al." Annie coaxed. "Mom and Dad will be here in a few hours."

Alex groaned as her green eyes opened.

"Annie, what time is it?" She asked.

"Almost ten." Annie replied. "Mom and Dad will be here around one-thirty."

"Can't you protect me?" She pleaded.

Annie smiled as she pulled Alex into a sitting position and hugged her tightly.

"I will always protect you if I can. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those times. I'll help you as best I can though. Okay?"

"Okay." Alex said.

"How do you feel?" Annie asked.

"Sick to my stomach." Alex said honestly as she felt the familiar tingle on her tongue.

"You're just nervous." Annie assured her.

"Annie!" Alex whined.

"Aw, my poor little sister." Annie said half sincerely and half teasingly. "You're gonna be okay."

Alex knew Annie spoke the truth, even though she didn't' feel it at the moment.

The girls made the most of the time they had left together.

Alex did get sick once, but Annie assured her it was from nerves rather than from her not feeling good.

Her fever had broken and she had eaten half of a breakfast sandwich and drank two cups of orange juice earlier.

As the girls were talking after Annie coaxed Alex to eat a plain turkey sandwich with tomato and lettuce and drink some iced tea, there was a knock at the door.

"Ready?" Annie asked sympathetically.

"No." Alex answered honestly.

Annie had a feeling her sister didn't need the bit of horse radish that was left in her system to give her that answer.

"It's gonna be okay, Al." She assured her. "I'll protect you as best I can."

"Thanks." Alex replied.

Before she opened the door, Annie pulled her little sister in for a hug.

They stayed that way for a long time.

There was so much Alex wanted to say to her and vice versa.

Alex had a feeling the hug said it all.

Taking a deep breath, Annie squeezed Alex's hand reassuringly as she opened the door.

Their parents sighed with relief when they saw their youngest daughter in one piece.

Mrs. Mack reached out to hug her and Alex hesitated. She locked eyes with Annie and her sister nodded to show her it was okay.

Alex walked closer and her mother pulled her in for a hug.

"Alex, Alex, Alex…" Barbara said as a few tears coursed down her cheeks. "You had us really worried! You gave us quite a scare, young lady."

"I know." Alex said softly. "I'm sorry, Mom. I really am. It's just that, Annie's my sister and I wasn't' ready for her to leave yet. I'm really sorry."

"I know you are, honey." Mrs. Mack said as she hugged Alex tightly and put a hand through her hair. "Don't ever do something like that again."

"I won't." Alex said honestly. "I promise."

"My turn." Mr. Mack said as he pulled Alex into a hug.

While Alex and her father were reuniting, Mrs. Mack turned her attention to her eldest.

"Annie, how are you doing?" She asked, embracing her tightly. "I'm sorry for everything."

"It's really okay." Annie assured her, hugging back. "It was an interesting first day. But like I told Alex, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. It made me realize how much I'm going to miss her."

On that note, Mr. Mack let Alex go and she practically flew into Annie's arms for one more hug.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Al. It's okay…" Annie soothed as she heard her let out a sob. "Everything's gonna be okay. Before you know it, I'll be back home for Thanksgiving and you'll be counting down the days until I leave again."

"No I won't!" Alex said tearfully.

Annie giggled, despite the few tears in her own eyes.

"Call me when you get home, okay? I love you, little sister."

"I love you too." Alex said, trying to calm down.

After holding onto each other for an extra minute, the two sisters finally pulled away.

"You have a good first week, you hear me?" Mrs. Mack told Annie. "We love you."

"I love you guys too." Annie replied.

As she watched them leave, she mouthed something to Alex.

Her little sister nodded and flashed her a brave smile.

It took all Alex's self control not to run back into Annie's arms for one more hug.

The ride home was a silent one. Alex slept most of the way and listened to her walkman the rest of the way.

When they got home, her parents told her while they understood why she did it, they still had to ground her.

Alex understood and took her punishment better than they expected.

"We love you so much, honey." Mrs. Mack told her as she hugged her and kissed her good night.

"I love you too." Alex replied.

Getting upstairs to her room-she felt strange calling it her room, she flopped down on the bed and stared out the window.

"I love you, Annie." She whispered. "I'm gonna miss you."

As though her sister had read her thoughts, her cell phone rang.

Alex recognized the ring as a text message.

Flipping open the phone, she smiled when she saw the message Annie had written her.

Hey Al. I miss you already. I hope you feel better soon. Remember, no matter how faraway I am, I'll always be with you.

A minute after she had read the message, her phone rang with the ring tone she had selected for Annie.

"Hi." She said. "I got your text message. Thanks."

"No problem." Annie replied. "So how long are you grounded for?"

"A month." Alex replied.

"It'll go by fast." Annie encouraged. "Besides, before you know it, I'll be home for fall break."

This cheered Alex up immensely.

"Oh yeah! That's right." She said, sounding happier than she had felt since they had gone to drop Annie off at the airport.

Annie giggled and Alex could tell she was rolling her eyes playfully.

The girls talked for the next two hours until Alex yawned and Annie insisted she get some rest.

"You're still getting over that stomach flu you had." She reminded her. "You need rest if you're going to completely heal from it."

"I know." Alex assured her. "Night, Annie. I love you."

"I love you too, Alex. Sweet dreams."

"You too."

As Alex clicked off her phone, she smiled. She was gonna miss Annie, but she was right about one thing. She wasn't that far away. And no matter what, she would always be with her.

With that final comforting thought in her head, Alex fell asleep.

She slept well for the first time in a long time…

As Alex's mind floated back to the present, she smiled to herself as she finished the e-mail she had started a half an hour ago.

Well, I have to go. Ray's downstairs and he wants to go to that new ice cream parlor at the mall. He wants to try the three flavor combo they have.

Talk to you soon,  
Love always,

Your sister, puddle girl aka Alex

Clicking the send button, Alex smiled in satisfaction when she saw the message had been sent.

Putting her hair in a quick ponytail, she threw the shirt Annie had sent her a few days ago over her T-shirt and headed downstairs to meet Ray.

Ray smiled when he saw his best friend. He was glad to have her home again. He had been worried when she had pulled her temporary disappearing act.

"Finally finish that e-mail to Annie?" He asked with a knowing grin.

"Yup." Alex replied. "Come on."

"Okay."

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

As they neared the mall, Ray asked the question he had been wanting to ask since Alex had returned a few days ago.

"Al, how did you manage to stowaway on the plane and end up at MIT with Annie?"

Alex smiled as they rounded the corner to the mall.

"It's a long story." She said. "I'll tell you when we're sitting down. I guess you can say it was an accident."

Ray nodded, a knowing twinkle in his eye as he locked gazes with Alex.

He had a feeling that the story Alex was about to tell him was one he would never forget. That was fine with him. In fact, he wouldn't have it any other way, just like he wouldn't have Alex any other way.

THE END


End file.
